The present invention relates to apparatus for treating portions of the human body such as the feet, elbows, knees and hands with heat and moisture.
There are many situations in which doctors recommend for their patients the application of heat and moisture to a portion of their body. Often, this treatment is for simple muscular discomfort or, perhaps, more chronic afflictions such as arthritis. While such treatments may or may not have any curative effects, at least it is recognized that such treatments soothe or reduce the pain in the area so treated.
The typical heating pad which has been available for many years is an effective source of low temperature heat for application to the human body. However, the heating pad is generally flat in shape and ill-equipped to surround an afflicted body member such as a leg or arm. There have been straps and other means provided on heating pads to enable the user to wrap it around the body or the extremities. Because of the versatility of the pads provided with such straps, they are not effective in providing a suitable enclosure for any portion of the body. In an effort to provide a more complete enclosure for portions of the body such as the hands, specially heated devices such as gloves or mittens have been provided. Noted in this connection is Maxwell et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,292,628 and Joy et al. U.S. Pat. No. 2,298,298. Although mittens of the type disclosed in the Maxwell et al and Joy et al patents are effective in heating hands, they are expensive to fabricate, difficult to seal from a moisture standpoint and lack versatility since they are limited to use in heating the hands. Other disclosures of interest with respect to heating the face are the British patent to Nightingale, No. 1,038,891, and the French patent to Thermobelle, No. 1,511,723.
In connection with the application of moisture along with the heat, it has been known to utilize a moisture-resistant pad. The patent to McDonald, U.S. Pat. No. 2,032,294, is noted in this connection. A pad of fibrous material is soaked in water to permit it to absorb water which will later be driven off as heat is applied to create the damp, heated environment which is desirable in connection with this therapeutic treatment. The use of the moisture pad in close proximity with the heat pad requires much care in order that the user not be electrocuted by the electricity used in connection with the heating pad. A sealed envelope of waterproof or moisture-resistant material is conventionally used to enclose the electric heating element of the pad. The difficulties of adequately sealing an envelope of complex configuration such as is shown in the Maxwell et al. and Joy et al. patents can readily be appreciated.